


Sand In My Shoes

by Katsudonace



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, Light Angst, M/M, backstory homophobia, it's not in the actual fic though, ptsd mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 08:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13900584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsudonace/pseuds/Katsudonace
Summary: When Lance was seven, he had a vacation friend, someone who he used to play with since they'd both be on vacation at the same time, but he hasn't seen him since childhood. Eleven years later, Keith's life isn't going according to plan, so he decides to go with Shiro to their old vacation spot. Fate intervenes, and they meet each other again.





	Sand In My Shoes

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the [Safe Klance Writing Network's](https://safeklancewriters.tumblr.com/) monthly challenge. The theme was "vacation".
> 
> Huge thanks to [angst-in-space](http://angst-in-space.tumblr.com/), [genericpaladin](https://genericpaladin.tumblr.com/), and [pidgeholte](https://pidgeholte.tumblr.com/) for betaing! Also, thanks to angst-in-space for the title. It's from [Sand In My Shoes by Dido](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lrVymj9xHY).

When Lance was a kid, he had a vacation “friend”, which was what his parents called the little boy he talked to at the beach. Lance barely remembered him. After all, it had just been for a couple of summers when he was little and stayed with his grandparents, who were closer to all the tourist-y stuff in Miami. Like a lot of people on vacation, the boy had come with his family for the beach and sunshine before going back to wherever they had come from when it was over. The boy’s family came almost every year, thanks to the beauty of timeshare... until one year they didn’t.

The last time they were together, the two of them had taken an old photo and torn it in half so they wouldn’t forget each other. Eleven years later, Lance still had it. He was still spending his summers with his grandparents, even if he was stuck working at a shaved-ice stand instead of enjoying himself on the beach. It sure was some summer vacation, but at least he’d finally have enough cash to cover the rest of what he needed for college.

It was still early morning. The air was cool, and the stall wasn’t crowded. He watched people drift in the distance, none paying much attention to him in the slightest bit. Lance didn’t know how they managed to not even glance at the stall, given that he was wearing a bright pink Hawaiian shirt and the stall itself was shaped like a pineapple. It was some franchise thing. Despite being in Miami and not Hawaii, the tourists still ate it up.

Lance looked at the clock, which was tacked onto the wall in the back of the shack, nearly covered by the tacky and fake ‘luau’ decorations. There were still several hours left on his shift before he could get off and go surfing with his best friend, Hunk. They were going to the same college, but Hunk, the genius that he was, had gotten a scholarship. Lance also had one for swimming, but it didn’t cover everything. Thus, he was stuck working with the masses.

Tapping his finger against the counter, Lance’s attention began to wane, drifting past the people on the sidewalk to the ones on the beach. It wasn’t too crowded right now. When the sun began to rise, there wouldn’t be a spot open. He dreaded that because that was when the families would flock to the stall for refreshments, starting the lunch rush, which would last until Lance finished his shift.

His eyes flickered over the people, taking in the early beach-goers. He saw a guy with a weird black undercut and a white tuft of hair already passed out on a beach towel. Lance’s eyes moved to a figure walking along the shoreline. The breath caught in his throat, and he rubbed at his eyes, because there was no way he was seeing what he thought was seeing. It was _him_ , the boy, his vacation friend. He’d recognize that mullet anywhere.

Lance vaulted easily over the counter. Unfortunately, he did this just as his manager was coming in through the back. “Lance, where are you going!?” the manager shouted, hands on his hips. It was hard to take him seriously when he was wearing the same lame Hawaiian shirt that Lance was. “You just started your shift five minutes ago!”

“Sorry,” Lance said sincerely. “I’ll work overtime. I just need a few minutes. I’ll be back before the lunch rush. I promise!” He waited until his manager gave him a frustrated nod before he took off running. “Thanks!” he shouted, waving over his shoulder. He didn’t miss the irritated grumble, but he decided dealing with his manager could wait as he ran towards the beach.

Letting his legs carry him, Lance sped off towards his old friend, maybe his _oldest_ friend, since he had known Mullet longer than he had known Hunk, even if he’d spent more time with the latter. It wasn’t long before his feet touched the sand and he was rushing towards the guy. He looked exactly like Lance remembered him. Well, except that he was shorter than Lance remembered, and his mullet was a bit wilder. It had been more of a bowl-cut when they were kids.

The guy looked up as Lance approached, a confused look on his face. It made Lance’s stomach sink a little. “Can I help you?” he asked, eyes flickering over Lance, lingering on his shirt and at the nametag there before settling on his face. “Is the beach not open yet? The guy told us that it was, but we didn’t see any signs.”

“Uh, yeah, the beach is open.” Lance bit at his lip, waiting a few more seconds, but there was no spark of recognition as the guy continued to stare at him blankly. “I just-” Lance rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed. “You just looked like someone I knew from a long time ago, I guess. We used to hang out together when we were kids.”

“When we were kids?” The guy leaned in, narrowing his eyes at Lance. “Oh. I think I remember you.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest, tilting his head to the side as he continued to stare. “It was when my parents used to have timeshare out here, right?” He scowled. “You never kept in touch like you said. I want a divorce.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “Hey! I wrote to you every day! You were the one who didn’t keep in touch!” He poked the boy’s chest, though he had to admit that he didn’t even remember the other guy’s name. “I should be the one asking for the divorce!” The words coming out of his mouth gave him pause. “Wait, why are we getting divorced? We’re not married.”

“Wow, I’m hurt.” A small smirk pulled at the corner of the guy’s lips. “You really don’t remember that we’re married? We had a ceremony and everything. G.I. Joe was your best man, and I even made us a sand cake, which you didn’t even eat.” He brushed Lance’s hand away, looking offended. “I can’t believe you don’t even remember your own wedding. Worst husband ever.”

It took Lance a moment for the memory to hit him, and when it did, blush filled his cheeks. He remembered the wedding. Neither of them wanted to be the “girl”, so they both ended up being the groom. Mullet’s older brother had officiated. There was a sand cake, which was just a sand castle with two army guys stuck into the top. He covered his face with his hands, feeling embarrassment wash over him.

“I can’t believe you remember that.” Lance peeked out from between his fingers. The smirk had expanded, reaching Mullet’s eyes. “But don’t divorce me. I swear I wrote every day to the address you gave me. I went with my mom to the post office, and she let me put the letters in the box. I’d check every day. Just figured-” He shrugged. “Figured you had other friends or something.”

“I honestly didn’t get anything.” The boy frowned, glancing over his shoulder at the older guy passed out on the beach towel. Up close, Lance could see that he was missing an arm. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be right back.” He uncrossed his arms and motioned slowly towards Lance with his hands. “Just stay. Don’t go anywhere.”

Lance raised an eyebrow but ultimately nodded his head in agreement. As he watched Mullet move towards the guy on the beach blanket, Lance removed his hands from his face, wrapping his arms around himself. He saw Mullet prod at the guy on the blanket until he rolled onto his side, and Lance realized that he had to be the boy’s older brother. From what Lance remembered, he had both arms when he was a kid, meaning something must have happened since then.

Whatever it was that Mullet had been looking for, he held it up in the air triumphantly before turning on his heel to begin making his way back to Lance. In his hand, Lance could see himself but younger, making him reach into the pockets of his shorts, digging out his wallet so that he could pull out his half of the photo. He kept it with him, and it seemed like Mullet had done the same.

“I kept it, too,” Lance said, holding out his picture. The two halves came together, and Lance grinned. “I can’t believe I’m seeing you again after-” He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because Mullet was pulling at him until their lips met, effectively cutting off Lance’s thought process.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before they were pulling apart, and Mullet smiled at him sheepishly. He was breathing heavily, but so was Lance. “I- Um.” Mullet took a step back, rubbing at his arm. “I- I’m sorry. It’s just- Well, I had a crush on you when we were kids, and I always wondered- But this was stupid. It was-”

Lance grabbed him and pulled him into another kiss. He had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing this. It wasn’t even like he remembered the guy’s name. They’d gotten “married” when they were kids, but in Lance’s memory, they had just been joking around. There hadn’t been any meaning behind it. Yet, here he was with his tongue practically down the guy’s throat.

When they broke apart again, Lance’s eyes flickered over Mullet’s face. He wondered if it was too late to admit that he forgot his name. “I-” Lance began but found it hard to form sentences. He cleared his throat. “I get off at two.” Mullet blushed, and Lance’s cheeks burned. “I mean, my shift is over at two. We should- We should, yeah.”

Mullet nodded his head. “Yeah, I’d like that.” His eyes flickered to Lance’s nametag. “I’ll swing by later, Lance. When you’re off work.” He glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “Just have to make sure Shiro gets back to the hotel room and doesn’t die of alcohol poisoning, then I’ll be right there. Maybe you can show me around now that we’re older and don’t need our parents to escort us everywhere.”

“I’d like that!” Lance exclaimed. His mind briefly went to Hunk and their plans to go surfing, but he was sure Hunk would understand the situation. “We can go get garlic knots at this one place I know. It’ll-” He rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling his ears beginning to burn. “It’ll be like we’re a real married couple or something, Mullet.”

“Keith,” the boy corrected as his nose wrinkled. That was one mystery solved, at least. “You know I hate that nickname.” Keith’s hand went to his hair, playing with some of the strands. “It’s not even a mullet. It’s a normal haircut. _You’re_ the one with the weird haircut. Your bangs aren’t even.”

Lance pretended to gasp and placed a hand on his chest. “My hair is perfect.” He chuckled and then leaned in to give Keith another quick kiss. “But I really have to get back to work. I’ll see you and your mullet at two.” He winked, feeling a little more in control now. “We’ll see about making this a vacation you remember.”

The two of them said their goodbyes, and even before he made it back to the stall, Lance had his phone out, texting Hunk about what had happened. As he got back, his manager began chewing him out for taking so long, but Lance found that he couldn’t have cared less. His gaze returned to the beach after he finished texting Hunk, so he could watch Keith in the distance.

Keith was moving differently than he had when Lance first spotted him. He looked dazed as he paced along the beach, wading in the water then wading out as if he suddenly couldn’t decide how he wanted to spend his time. Lance continued to watch him fret about until the beach began to get more crowded, and people began to visit the stall. Though he didn’t want to, he returned his attention to work, excited to go out on his date with Keith later.

* * *

This was Shiro’s fault, Keith decided. It was Shiro’s fault that he was standing in their hotel room with all his clothes dumped out on the bed as he frantically tried to decide what he wanted to wear. It shouldn’t matter, and it didn’t, but throwing his clothes around the room was almost cathartic in the panic that was his upcoming date with Lance, who was the last person he thought he’d see when he decided to come on this vacation.

“Calm down,” Shiro said as one of Keith’s many black shirts smacked him in the face. He had a margarita glass in his prosthetic hand and he brought it up to his lips to take a sip. “You guys were so cute together. He was your first kiss. You were four, and you smushed his cheeks together and kissed him. Dad has it on video somewhere.”

“Not helping, Shiro!” Keith yelled. He let out a frustrated grunt and ran his hands through his hair for the hundredth time since he’d kissed Lance. “I don’t even know why I did that. He was talking, but all I could think about was that he had the photo, and he _did_ write then-” Another grunt escaped him, and he threw a pair of jeans against the wall. “Now we have a date!”

“Keith, not to alarm you, but it sounds like things are going well.” Shiro set his drink onto the chipped nightstand between their two queen beds. It wasn’t like the big timeshare they had when they were growing up as it barely had enough space to accommodate both of them. Also, the paint was peeling slightly, and the bathroom smelled weird, but it wasn’t like they could afford any place better. “Why are you freaking out?”

“Because it’s going well.” Sitting on the bed, Keith sighed, putting his head in his hands. “What if he asks me about what I’ve been doing for the past couple of years? Do I lie? Do I say that I’m in high school? That I’m going to college? Or do I say the truth and that I got kicked out?” He groaned loudly. “I didn’t think this through.”

“It’s not like you’re actually married to him.” The bed squeaked, and Keith glanced up to see Shiro get up off the bed. Since there wasn’t that much distance between the beds, he easily stood in front of Keith, staring down at him with a concerned expression. “Just go and have fun with him for the day. That’s why we came here, right? So you could forget about being expelled, and I could forget about...” He trailed off and motioned to his prosthetic arm.

“I guess you’re right.” Keith felt uneasy about everything regardless. Still, he could see the logic in Shiro’s words. He was here to have fun, and it wasn’t like anything was going to get serious between him and Lance. They wouldn’t see each other again after this, though that didn’t stop a gnawing sensation in his stomach at the thought. “It might be nice to get my mind off things for a bit.”

“That’s the spirit,” Shiro said, hitting Keith on the shoulder. He leaned over, digging through the pile of Keith’s clothes that were on the bed. Keith watched him pick out a black undershirt and a red button-down and Keith’s nicest pair of jeans. It looked a little hot for the weather, but it wasn’t like Keith hadn’t been wearing a red half-jacket when they landed.

Keith took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. It took him less time than he thought it would to get dressed, leaving him with an hour before Lance was supposed to get off work. However, he didn’t want to spend any more time with Shiro in the hotel room. Not that he didn’t love his brother, it had just been awkward since he’d come back from his last military tour. Keith didn’t know how to deal with Shiro, and he didn’t want to talk anymore about his date with Lance either, so he left.

Going directly to the shaved ice stand where Keith had seen Lance return to, he leaned against the bar that separated the sidewalk from the beach. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching the line and Lance. It’d been years since he’d seen Lance, but he was still exactly as Keith remembered, cheerful and friendly as he worked easily with the customers.

Time moved slowly, or maybe it was just the line. Since it didn’t look like Lance was going to get off work any time soon, Keith took a step forward, inserting himself into the line. As Keith approached the front, he could see Lance more clearly now. Lance chatted with the people ordering, making conversation. He could be friends with anyone. It was as easy as breathing for him, and Keith was glad that hadn’t changed about him.

A few people later and it was finally Keith’s turn. “Hey, how can I-?” Lance began, only to cut himself off when he saw it was Keith. Blush rose to his cheeks, so it seemed like Shiro had been right about the outfit. “Uh, hey-” Lance gulped nervously, hand going to the back of his neck. “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” Keith said with a chuckle. He rested his arms on the counter, tilting his head to the side as he looked over Lance’s shoulder at the menu. “Thought I’d get something while I waited for you to get off work since I got Shiro squared away sooner than I thought.” His lips thinned, looking at the different syrup flavors. “Does it matter which I pick or do all the syrups taste like food coloring?”

Lance snorted. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine.” He glanced over his shoulder, following Keith’s eyeline. “Blue raspberry is pretty good, I think. Though, I guess it might be the artificial flavoring.” Shrugging his shoulders, Lance turned back to Keith. “You’re not really supposed to think about the flavor, just kind of enjoy the sugar rush, man.”

Keith stared at the menu for a few more seconds. “I guess I’ll take the red flavor, whichever that one is. I kind of like red, and it won’t turn my mouth a weird color, so it won’t be awkward for our date.” More blush sprung up on Lance’s face, reaching all the way up to his ears. “Unless you want your mouth to turn blue, too.”

“Blue,” Lance repeated, eyebrows raising into his hairline. He cleared his throat, though that didn’t remove any of the blush from his face. “One cherry, coming up.” He turned to begin crushing the ice. “Do you want to hop over the counter? It won’t be that much longer before my shift is over if you want to wait back here.”

“Don’t I have to pay or something?” Keith asked, though he was already hopping over the counter to join Lance on the other side, despite a few complaints from the customers behind him. “I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything by being back here.” He motioned towards the door at the back of the shack. “I don’t mind waiting outside.”

It was cramped in the shack, too, with only enough room for one person. The interior was decorated in bright plastic flowers and vines hanging from the fake grass roof. It almost hurt how tourist-y it was. Then there was Lance’s attire, but the pink Hawaiian shirt did look good on him, though Keith was certain that Lance could make anything look good. Lance just had that kind of build.

“Nah, it’s cool.” Lance waved off Keith’s concern while placing the ice into a paper cup and moving to the syrups. “This is on me. I’ll just mark it down as one of mine. I get a certain number that I can take for free.” He held out the cup to Keith with a wink. “One of the benefits of the job. I can get you things.”

“Be still my beating heart. Free snow cones.” Keith chuckled. “It’s everything I look for in a man.” He took the cup from Lance and moved to the back so that Lance could return to serving the other customers. He poked at the shaved ice with his tongue, because he had never tried it before now. The shop hadn’t been here when he and Lance were kids.

The syrup tasted exactly how Keith thought it would, though that didn’t make it bad. He quietly enjoyed it while continuing to watch Lance work. Lance was good with the customers and always had a smile. His work was clean and efficient. It made Keith a little envious of how easily Lance talked with people. Keith couldn’t connect with people like that.

Keith had just finished his shaved ice when the door opened, and someone came to take Lance’s place. Lance grabbed a backpack out from under the counter and made his way to the back door. He unbuttoned his shirt as he walked, not seeming to care that Keith was watching while the two of them left the shack.

Shoving his work shirt into his pack, Lance pulled out a blue tank top. “So, you hungry?” he asked as he pulled the shirt over his head. “Or would you rather I show you around first?” He tilted his head to the side, a sly grin spreading over his face. “Or would you prefer me to take my shirt off again, so you can stare more at my chest?”

“Shut up.” As he said it, heat filled Keith’s cheeks, embarrassed that Lance had caught him. He crossed his arms over his chest, considering his options. If they went to dinner, they’d probably end up talking, but at least there would be food. He could shove food in his mouth and change the subject if needed. “Let’s go get food. That ice was _not_ enough.”

“I hear you, buddy.” Lance clapped his hand onto Keith’s shoulder. “There’s a pizza place with the best garlic knots just down the block.” He motioned to Keith, walking down the alley while putting on his backpack. “You’re going to love it. It’s worth the whole trip, if I’m being honest. I’m going to miss them when I go back home.”

Keith followed Lance, keeping pace with him so he wouldn’t get lost. “Back home? You mean you’re not from here?” He glanced over at Lance’s backpack then at the shack behind them. Lance looked, too, raising an eyebrow questioningly. “I guess I just thought you lived here because you had a part-time job.”

Lance laughed, placing his hands behind his head. “You remember that we got married, but not where I’m from, that’s hilarious.” He glanced at Keith, chuckling a bit. “I fly up to Miami for summer vacation. I live further south, but my parents send me up to spend time with my grandparents. They used to come with me, but now I just make the trip by myself. All my siblings are off doing their thing, spread across everywhere, so no one but me really visits them.”

“At least they have you.” Keith sighed. “And you’re lucky to still have your parents and siblings, too. My family is kind of a big mess. My parents got divorced. Though, they weren’t my parents, sort of. It’s complicated. My mom left when I was three, so my dad remarried his ex-wife, but then they got divorced again.”

Letting out a low whistle, Lance said, “That _does_ sound like a mess. Sorry all that happened to you, man.” He frowned. “Guess that explains why you didn’t write back.” Lance glanced off to the side guiltily. “I was really mad at you for awhile. Like, I was so disappointed as each week went by and there was nothing. But all that crap happened to you. I feel bad for being angry now. I’m sorry, Keith.”

“You were a little kid. You didn’t know any better.” Keith stared at Lance, hating that he’d ruined the mood. He didn’t like making Lance frown. “But that’s all in the past. I’m here now, with you. We can spend as much time as we want together, doing what we want together, you know? We’ve got some time before my vacation ends.”

“Yeah!” Lance exclaimed, perking up instantly. “We should catch up! Man, so much has happened that I’ve wanted to tell you.” Panic began to rise in Keith as Lance talked. “I have to tell you about the college I’ve been accepted into. It’s a football school mostly, but they have a great swim team. What about-?”

Keith couldn’t let Lance finish his sentence, knowing exactly where the line of questioning was going. The panic inside him made Keith act on the first impulse that popped into his mind, and that was to press Lance against the nearest surface and pull him into another kiss. He didn’t care that they were out in public where people could see them, preferring gawkers to having to answer what had happened to him. There was the option to lie, but it felt wrong to lie to Lance when he was being so open with Keith.

Lance responded to the kiss with a soft groan, hand finding its way into Keith’s hair. It was easier this way, at least that’s what Keith told himself. This was something they both enjoyed, so he figured that Lance wouldn’t mind. But then Lance’s hand moved to Keith’s chest suddenly, giving a strong push and breaking the kiss.

“Wait, hold up,” Lance said, pushing Keith back further. His face was flushed, and his eyes were a little dazed though determined. “As much fun it is making out with you, I want to catch up, too.” He grinned widely, which would have been comforting if it wasn’t for the topic of conversation. “I want to know what you’ve been up to in the last eleven years. How have you been? Where are you going to college?”

Keith leaned in, trying to interrupt Lance’s thought process again, but Lance’s hands remained firmly on Keith’s chest. Lance was stronger than he looked. “Why do you want to talk?” Keith asked in annoyance. “We’re both on vacation, aren’t we? We should just let loose and have some fun. No talking involved. Right?”

“Wrong.” Lance pulled away from Keith, taking a step to the side and away from the wall. “I’m not like that. Maybe you are. I don’t know. It’s been years.” He glanced off to the side, looking hurt, and Keith couldn’t help but feel guilty. “I’m just not something you can use and toss aside. If you’re not interested in a relationship, then I’m not really interested in you.”

Lance began to walk away, but Keith reached out, grabbing Lance’s wrist instinctively. That earned Keith a glare, though he knew he deserved it. “I got kicked out of school,” Keith blurted out. “I was ashamed of it, and I didn’t-” He sucked in breath. “I didn’t want you think I was some kind of loser because I’m not going to college.”

The expression on Lance’s face softened into one of sympathy. “Keith, come on.” Lance moved in, cupping his cheek. “You’re my husband.” He laughed at his cheesy joke, and Keith felt his heart skip a bit at the words. “I’d never think you were a loser. Not everyone needs college, you know?” His thumb circled just above Keith’s cheekbone, and Keith felt himself lean into Lance’s touch. “There’s nothing bad about it.”

“That’s what my brother says.” Keith bit his lip, looking into Lance’s eyes, surprised at how much sincerity they held. “It’s just hard not to be embarrassed about it. I got into a fight with a teacher. They were saying some shit about Shiro, about how he was a failure because he lost his arm.” He glanced down. “About me, about my sexuality, so I lost it and decked them. The school board didn’t see that as a good reason to hit a teacher, and I was expelled. I was eighteen, so I just never went back.”

“Jackass,” Lance muttered. Realizing what he said, he added, “The teacher, not you. I’m glad you hit him.” That made Keith glance back up at Lance, anger having taken over his features. As their eyes met, Lance’s eyes grew concerned, flickering over Keith’s face. “Do you have a plan, though? I don’t know, maybe it’s not my place to ask, but I’m here for you, man. Whatever you need.”

The question shook Keith, everything finally sinking in, because he didn’t have a plan. He’d just come out here with Shiro on a whim. “I don’t know,” he replied slowly. “I- I didn’t really get that far. I’ve just been going from impulse to impulse.” He moved forward, clinging to Lance, and he felt bad for dumping all this on him. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Lance’s hand was in Keith’s hair again, but this time he was carding his fingers through it soothingly. “Do you have a place to stay? I mean, obviously you have a hotel room, but afterwards, though. Are your parents...?” He trailed off, leaving the question unasked, though Keith still knew what he meant. “Is Shiro taking care of you?”

Keith nodded his head, burying his face into Lance’s neck. “But I know I can’t stay with him forever. He’s got enough problems, and he doesn’t say it, but I know it makes him uncomfortable having me around because of his PTSD.” His fists clenched and grabbed at the fabric of Lance’s tank. This wasn’t how he had seen this date going. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“I’ve got an apartment. Uh, not here, but where I’m going to college in a couple of months. Me and my friend, Hunk, we decided we didn’t want to live in the dorms. We could use some extra rent money.” Lance sucked in his breath awkwardly. “If you want, that is. You can sort everything out from there.”

Pulling back, Keith gawked at Lance, mouth agape slightly. “Lance, you don’t even know me. We were friends when we were little, yeah, but it’s been eleven years since we even saw each other. I’m practically a stranger to you right now. I was a stranger to you back then, too.” He licked his lips, and it was hard to keep himself from blurting out that he wanted to agree to Lance’s offer. “I think you need to think this through a little bit more.”

“Nah.” Lance moved his fingers underneath Keith’s chin, raising his head up slightly. “We’re married, aren’t we? For better or worse. And what did you say...?” He chewed at his bottom lip as he thought. A laugh escaped his lips when he remembered it. “For raptor or for dinosaur. It was a stupid childhood promise, but I still want to honor it.”

Keith couldn’t stop himself any longer. “Yeah, okay. You win. For raptor or for dinosaur.” It was hard not to laugh as he said that, though. “Just promise that if you change your mind that you’ll let me know. I’ll begin looking for my own place or something. I don’t want you to feel obligated to support me if you find out you don’t really feel that way about me.”

“Mullet, don’t tell me how I feel,” Lance snapped, looking annoyed. He snorted and then sighed. “But yeah, I promise. Just as long as you promise not to pull any of that shit you did with the making out.” The hand that was still in Keith’s hair dropped to the base of his neck. “We’ve got to talk it out if we’re going to make it work.”

“I promise, too, then.” Keith began laughing, half-hysterically, which made Lance’s eyebrow shoot up again. “You know, the last thing I thought I would be doing today would be skipping all the steps of dating and getting into a seriously committed relationship with a guy I married when I was seven.”

Lance slung his arm around Keith’s shoulder pulling him into his side. “Life is full of little surprises.” He chuckled, though his eyes were soft as he stared at Keith. “I’m really glad you came back, though. It’s weird, but I think I was waiting for you. I just knew it was you, and I don’t know. Can you find your soulmate at seven?”

“Wow, you really grew into a hopeless romantic.” Still, Keith leaned into Lance’s side, absorbing the comfort that Lance was willingly sharing with him. “But yeah, sure.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t see why not, since I kind of feel the same way.” Keith glanced away, scratching at his cheek. “Thinking of you kind of got me through the divorce, too.”

“Aw, babe, that’s so sweet.” The nickname had Keith blushing, and he scowled at Lance, who only laughed in response. However, it did feel like a weight had been lifted off him, as if all the pieces were falling into place. Keith was glad that Lance was the one that he’d married when he was a little kid, and maybe one day in the future, Lance would be the person that he married for real, too.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on my writing journal at [KatsudonAce](https://katsudonace.tumblr.com/) or on my main at [Keithphantom](http://keithphantom.tumblr.com/).


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